EDUCATION: Urbanski will wait and see on Malgieri hire

One day after news of Patricia Malgieri’s hire by the Rochester school district leaked out, Rochester Teachers Association President said Malgieri is no friend of public education.

Urbanski was reached by phone this afternoon.

Malgieri has been hired as chief of staff to Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas.

Urbanski said his experiences with the former deputy mayor Malgieri have not always been pleasant.

Malgieri has been a strong proponent of charter schools, privatization, and crushing unions rather than working with them, Urbanski said.

But Vargas didn’t seek Urbanski’s advice prior to making the decision to pick Malgieri, even though Urbanski has been one of the new superintendent’s strongest supporters. Urbanski said he was surprised by the decision and that he told Vargas so.

“If he had sought my advice in advance, he would not have made the decision,” Urbanski said.

Urbanski said Vargas urged him to keep an open mind. And he described Vargas as a risk taker who wants to bring the community together to help the district.

“I know Bolgen to be a well-intentioned and sincere man,” Urbanski said. “He wants to work collaboratively with those who have not always supported public education in Rochester.”